Apart from running Puppy Linux from a full hard disk drive (H.D.D.) installation or from a LiveDVD, it is also possible to run it as a frugal installation, performed by extracting the contents of the container ISO or ZIP file to virtually any type of FAT32, NTFS, or EXT2/3/4 formatted partition.

When a frugal installation is desired it is convenient to have a LiveDVD because it can be used to install the required boot loader (either GRUB, SYSLINUX, or EXTLINUX depending on the formatting of the installation partition). Instructions are also provided below for situations when not using an optical drive.

Copy to the U.S.B. flash drive the files: vmlinuz, initrd.gz, and all those with the extensions .sfs, and .cfg

Rename isolinux.cfg to syslinux.cfg

Edit syslinux.cfg in a text editor: change "pmedia=cd" to "pmedia=usbflash"

Reboot computer with U.S.B. flash drive connected

From within Microsoft Windows

Format the drive or partition to FAT32

Download and extract syslinux to a folder, e.g. C:/syslinux. Then go to C:/syslinux/win32/ and run this command to make the drive bootable (where X: is the drive letter for the target drive or partition):

syslinux.exe -m -a X:

Open the Puppy iso (or zip) file to view its contents, using e.g. 7-zip, (it is important that the original file names be kept)

Copy to the U.S.B. flash drive the files: vmlinuz, initrd.gz, and all those with the extensions .sfs, and .cfg

Rename isolinux.cfg to syslinux.cfg

Edit syslinux.cfg in a text editor: change "pmedia=cd" to "pmedia=usbflash"

Reboot computer with U.S.B. flash drive connected

If the computer does not boot from the U.S.B. flash drive follow the instructions in Appendices 1 and 3 at LiveDVD.